


take me to the disco

by rosecolouredgirl



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Established Relationship, F/F, Found Family, M/M, Multi, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Wealth, fake rivalry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-03-05 16:28:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18832351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosecolouredgirl/pseuds/rosecolouredgirl
Summary: Barbara Kean was the Queen of Gotham; heiress to Kean Co., head of the social scene, and the city's sweetheart. Upon her return to Gotham after five years abroad, she finds that Tabitha Galavan has taken her spot as Gotham's favorite daughter.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome, welcome, welcome!
> 
> I haven't seen any multi-chapter Babitha centric fics in a while, so I took matters into my own hands. Please tell me if you find any parts OOC, I'm always looking for suggestions.
> 
> Title from the song and album by Meg Myers :)

The pungent smell of gasoline and chemicals.

 

A teenage girl climbing the fire escape of a run-down apartment complex.

 

The sun invisible behind a wall of dark clouds.

 

Ostentatious skyscrapers towering above, nearly touching the sky.

 

Barbara didn’t realise how much she missed Gotham City until she was separated from it for five years. She loved the fresh air and change of scenery in the Swiss Alps, but she still loves Gotham, her home.

 

She once was the most popular figure in the Gotham social scene. Twenty-two years old, she spent her nights partying and her days as the spokeswoman for her parents’ company. She wonders how much things have changed in her circle since she left. Not too much hopefully.

 

She hails a taxi and goes to her apartment, the one she purchased a few months back. Her cab driver is silent, almost eerily so. Barbara is itching to start up a conversation because of all the pent up energy she has about the move, but she settles for watching the busy city go by the slightly dusty window.

 

There’s a rickety elevator in the building, that makes slight sounds as it ascends. Cheesy elevator music plays and Barbara tries not to chuckle at how on brand it is. Her apartment is the penthouse on the top floor so when she exits the elevator, she only has to walk down the narrow hallway, which is painted a  _ horrendous _ shade of olive, to reach her front door.

 

The only key on her keychain is her house key, so she’s able to get inside the apartment relatively quickly. Her new home is rather big; it’s build inside an old clock tower, the part where the clock once was is now a window. It’s very spacious, especially for one person, but Barbara has spent her entire life living in luxury, and she wasn’t going to stop now.

 

She carries her suitcases up to her bedroom, which takes at least three trips -- she should’ve packed less stuff. Barbara sits on the bottom stair of the staircase and takes a deep breath. She didn’t know what to do now. Her furniture wouldn’t arrive for at least one more hour and she didn’t know if any of her previous friends had moved or changed their addresses, otherwise she’d definitely reach out and contact them.

 

She decides to go for a walk; observe how much Gotham has changed since she left. She definitely saw new buildings and people through the taxi window. Wayne Enterprises’ tower looms over the city, sleek and fresher than the building Barbara remembers visiting as a kid. She briefly wonders how Bruce Wayne is doing nowadays; he must be a teenager by now.

 

“Babs?” A small voice from above causes the blonde to look up in confusion. A teenage girl is crouching on a fire escape, dressed in unnecessary amounts of leather. Her face is cat-like and Barbara swears she’s seen this girl before. The wild brown curls definitely sell it to her.

 

“Selina Kyle?”

 

Selina hops down, landing slickly on her feet. “I thought you were in, like, Prague or something.”

 

“The Swiss Alps, actually,” Barbara smiles, “Last I saw you, you were a little kid running around pickpocketing people on the street.”

 

“Yeah, I still pickpocket. I’m just… older,” she answers, “When did you get back?”

 

“This morning,” Barbara points in the general direction of the airport, “My plane got in a few hours ago.”

 

Selina nods. “Cool,” she says, “Have you talked to anyone yet?”

 

Barbara shakes her head. “No, I’m not sure if people moved or changed their numbers or anything,” she replies, “But I’d love to catch up with some people.”

 

“Well, I was about to snatch some chump’s wallet and buy some food before heading over to Ivy’s, but I guess since I’ve got Miss Gotham with me, I don’t need to.” Barbara sighs, still grinning.

 

Selina buys a sandwich from a food truck, although the owner looked like he recognized her from the way he cowered back when she approached the window. Barbara pays for it. “Hey, wait a minute, aren’t you Barbara Kean? The millionaire?” the vendor asks.

 

“Uh, yes,” she answers.

 

“I thought you moved,” he chuckles, “Can’t blame you.” Barbara smiles and is about to reply before her companion cuts her off.

 

“Look, Butch, we got places to be,” she snaps, “See ya.” She grabs Barbara’s wrist and drags her away. “Don’t bother with him. He’s a creep.”

 

The walk to Ivy’s place is surprisingly short, considering she hated living in the city and preferred to be closer to the outskirts. Her house is just as Barbara expected; a literal greenhouse. Potted plants and gardens surround it with a little stone path leading to the front door.

 

Selina doesn’t bother knocking, using the key under the begonia pot to get in, holding the door for Barbara. “Ivy! I got a surprise for ya!”

 

There are somehow even more plants inside than outside. Ferns on shelves, dozens of miniature cacti on tables, even some hanging pots around the house. The sound of clinking glass echoes from the kitchen, a very distinct sound. Selina leads Barbara into the kitchen, where a tall redhead is wearing a white lab coat over green pajamas. Her back is facing the doorway as she experiments with funky colored chemicals on the counter.

 

“Ivy, someone wants to say hi,” the younger singsongs, causing Ivy to quickly glance over her shoulder. She looks away before doing a double take and gasping in content. She sets down the pipette she’s using and places the beaker she’s holding in a holster.

 

“Barbara!” Ivy skips over to the older and throws her arms around her. The only thing that seems to have changed is Ivy’s height.

 

“Hi, Ivy, nice to see you too.”

 

Ivy squeezes Barbara even tighter, causing her to wince slightly but she still chuckles. “I’m so happy you’re back! I missed you so much!”

 

“Ivy,” Selina says, “You’re squeezing a little too hard.”

 

The redhead gasps and pulls back. “Sorry, Barb,” she tucks a few loose strands of copper hair behind her ear, “How long have you been in Gotham?”

 

Barbara straightens her white blouse. “Only a few hours.”

 

“Not to brag, but I  _ was _ the first person to talk to her since she got back.” Selina brushes fake dust from her shoulders, grinning.

 

Ivy crosses her arms. “Oh, yeah? Well…” she glances around her kitchen for a moment before her eyes land on a flyer on the fridge, “I’m throwing her a welcome home party!”

 

Barbara scrunches her eyebrows in surprise. “Oh?”

 

Selina scoffs. “Yeah? You didn’t even know she was here.”

 

“Yeah, I haven’t really told anyone I was coming back.”

 

Ivy huffs and sticks her nose in the air. “Well, I am! I’m gonna  _ force _ Pengy to host it at the Iceberg and we’re gonna have  _ fun! _ ”

 

The name of that location sounds familiar. Barbara has definitely heard it before, years ago. She racks her brain, then feels really dumb because Ivy alluded to what the Iceberg is in her statement. “Oh, the Iceberg Lounge. That’s Oswald’s club, right?”

 

Selina nods. “Yeah. A bunch of rich yuppies hang there. It’s where I steal nowadays.”

 

“I think he mentioned it back before I moved.”

 

“Oh, yeah!” Ivy slaps her forehead. “It totally slipped that you two are best friends! I remember that!”

 

Barbara nods along, but is unsure of her answer. A lot has changed;  _ she _ has changed. Besides, she hasn’t spoken or even  _ heard of  _ Oswald in five years. They lost contact maybe a week after the move and she isn’t sure if they’re friends anymore.

 

The tallest in the room wipes her hands off on her lap coat before taking it off and placing it on a hook suspended on the wall. She clasps her hand together. “Alright! I need to get dressed and head to the lounge and start planning. Selina, go take Barbara sightseeing or something.”

 

The curly haired girl rolls her eyes. “No.”

 

“I still have to unpack,” Barbara cuts in.

 

“Ooh!” Ivy claps lightly a couple times, “Perfect! Selina, help Babs unpack her apartment and I’ll call you guys when everything’s ready.” She starts gently nudging them towards the door, practically buzzing with excitement.

 

She waves goodbye to her friends before shutting and locking the door. “Well, my furniture should’ve been delivered by now,” Barbara says, “And my Ikea tables aren’t going to put themselves together.”   
  
Selina groans.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just some Barbara talking about how much she's changed and bonding with Selina (kinda)
> 
> This is a short one, but hopefully they'll start getting longer when Tabs shows up.
> 
> I promise Tabitha is coming soon!!!

Selina is terrible at putting furniture together, Barbara notices. While the older is breezing through, putting tables and chairs together quite quickly, the teenager doesn't follow the directions and complains when it doesn't work out in her favor.

 

"You know there are instruction manuals for a reason, right?" Barbara chuckles, watching as Selina taps the ends of two pieces of wood together, attempting to construct an end table.

 

"Instructions are just a suggestion," Selina replies before huffing and dropping the wood to the floor, "I give up, this is bullshit."

 

It's silent for a few moments afterward. "So, do you still hang out with Bruce Wayne?" Barbara asks.

 

Selina hums in response. "Unfortunately. I feel like as he got older, he bought more into this whole 'billionaire brat' persona."

 

"Considering what happened with Martha and Thomas, I'm not surprised."

 

"Yeah, that's what Bridgit says."

 

Barbara perks up. Bridgit, along with Ivy and Selina, were among the girls she let crash at her place when it was unsafe for them on the streets, which was nearly every day. "Bridgit Pike? How is she?"

 

“She’s better,” Selina answers, “Her brothers mysteriously died in an ‘accidental house fire’ so now she lives with me.” The blonde ignores the air quotes around “accidental house fire;” it’s better for her to think it really  _ was _ an accident.

 

“I’m glad, I really care about you kids,” Barbara grins and Selina smiles back.

 

It’s silent for another few minutes, although, it’s more of a comfortable silence than an awkward one. “Why did you leave?” the teenager asks suddenly, watching as Barbara assembles her bedframe. Her mattress is currently on the floor of her bedroom.

 

“Well, my parents’ company was beginning to globalize and they wanted me to be in charge of the branch in Switzerland,” Barbara explains, avoiding eye contact, “I didn’t wanna leave, but I did what I thought was best for the company.”

 

“Why did you come back then?”

 

Barbara sighs. “I guess I just missed it here. As shitty as this city is, it  _ is _ my home.” Selina just nods and mumbles something unintelligibly under her breath. The older wishes she knew what Selina said.

 

“What time do you think we should leave?” Barbara asks, trying to get her mind off of Selina’s unknown comment.

 

Selina shrugs. “Probably soon. Ivy is still a procrastinator so we might arrive before she does.”

 

The blonde chuckles and stands. “I’m gonna go look for an outfit upstairs,” she gives her guest a onceover, “Do you want to change?”

 

Selina crosses her arms. “Just because you asked, no.” Barbara chuckles and rolls her eyes. She did not miss that spite. Her clothes are still in her suitcases so she dumps all of them onto her mattress, creating a large pile of fabric.

 

She ends up selecting a bodycon dress carpeted in golden sequins. She always was a flashy dresser--it became one of her trademarks--no reason for her to change that now. As she digs her makeup bag out, she holds up a small handheld mirror to apply her eyeshadow and mascara.

 

Selina comes stomping up the stairs. “ _ Babs _ ,” she complains, “I forgot how long you take to get ready.”

 

“It’s been, like, ten minutes, Selina, calm down,” the older replies. She remembers the whines of Ivy, Selina, and Bridgit as twelve-year-olds, telling her to hurry up and get ready quicker. She finishes quickly and grabs her purse. “Okay, I’m ready, let’s go.”

 

The cab ride to the Iceberg Lounge is silent for the entire fifteen minutes. Barbara's never heard Selina be quiet for so long. After being dropped at the entrance, Selina brushes her clothes off, like she was covered in imaginary dirt, "That guy gave me the creeps."

 

"I think you've said that about every man we've encountered today."

 

Selina shrugs. "Well, men are scum."

 

Barbara laughs in agreement and opens the door for Selina to walk in first. Her first impression of the Lounge is that it's very… penguiny. Penguin statues stand in the corners of the venue with some even as centerpieces of tables. A huge circular bar is in the center of the floor, fluorescent blue and purple lights shining from the middle. There's a stage on the farthest side of the room, where a band is currently setting up.

 

She spots Ivy standing next to a tall man in a green glittery suit that perfectly matches her dress. Her boyfriend, perhaps?

 

"No, put the sculpture to the left a little," Ivy says, making a sweeping motion to the left with her hand. The employee moving the ice sculpture instead moves to the right.

 

"MOVE THE SCULPTURE TO THE OTHER LEFT!" the man shrieks shrilly. The bumbling employee immediately begins moving the large sculpture into position. As Barbara stares, she realises Ivy had it cut into the shape of the Kean Corporations building downtown.  _ How sweet. _

 

"You see, Ivy? Yelling works," the man tells Ivy, who laughs. Ivy notices Selina and Barbara and runs over in her high heels, squeezing both of them.

 

"You guys came early!" she chirps, crushing Barbara's arms in between their chests. The man notices the group hug and walks briskly towards them, yanking Ivy back.

 

"I'm quite sure you're crushing both of them," he comments, placing his hands on his hips. Barbara has never seen him before, she feels she would  _ definitely _ remember seeing someone like this. He's tall and thin, absolutely  _ blinding  _ under the light reflecting off his garish suit.

 

"I'm Barbara Kean," she greets, holding her hand out.

 

"Oh, I've heard a considerable amount about you, Miss Kean," he chuckles, "I'm Edward. Cobblepot, but just Ed is fine."

 

Barbara raises an eyebrow. "Cobblepot. Are you related to Oswald by any chance?"

 

Ed nods. “Yes, we’re married, as a matter of fact.” The blonde fails to stifle her noise of surprise. She never thought of Oswald as the type who’d settle down so quickly.

 

“Oh. Wow,” Barbara says slowly, retracting her hand. Selina snickers. Ivy elbows her, although trying to hide her own smile.

 

"Anyway," Selina breaks the awkward silence, "How about Babs and I help you guys set up?"

 

Ivy grins and claps. "Yay! Ecco is stopping by soon to help with security."

 

"Ecco?" Barbara's never heard a name like that before. Must be a nickname.

 

"Ivy's girlfriend," Ed and Selina answer in unison as Ivy pipes, "My girlfriend!"

 

Oh… girlfriend. Barbara has absolutely no problem with Ivy having a girlfriend, but is rather surprised. She has to admit, she did  _ not _ see that coming.

 

Almost immediately, Ivy (with a lot of help from Ed) puts them to work, helping bring out food and decorations. Every so often, Barbara will hear screeches from the other side of the room, directed at employees, that make her jump out of her skin. Selina doesn’t seem to mind, laughing every time.

 

Soon enough, everything is set up the way Ivy envisioned it. “Oh my gosh!” she shouts, whirling around the room, “It’s all perfect! What do you think, Babs? You like it?” Barbara nods. Pink and purple streamers are littered around the room, hanging from lights and bathing the whole club in a pastel glow. Food tables have been set up on either side of the room, a couple bowls of small snacks on the bar. The Kean Corporations ice sculpture is in the center, catching the light and creating a gorgeous glow.

 

“It’s amazing, Ivy,” the blonde grins, “Thank you so much.” She hugs the teenager, who squeezes her back with no hesitation. In that moment, Barbara feels all her jitters from the move melt away. She’s a different person from Barbara Kean, queen of Gotham, but it still fills her with joy that her friends still cared for her all the same.

 

The moment is interrupted by the door opening and closing. Ivy gasps and almost comically pushes Barbara away, running towards the newcomer. Barbara turns to see a blonde girl a little shorter than Ivy. Her bangs are endearingly choppy, like she cut them herself, and her dress gives off the same vibe. It’s a crimson color, with a lace-up bodice and checkered with black diamonds.

 

Ivy kisses the girl and it finally clicks that this must be Ecco. When they pull away, Ecco skips over to Barbara, pigtails bouncing. “Hiya! You must be Barbara,” she says, shaking hands, “You can call me Ecco.”

 

“Hi, Ecco,” Barbara replies, “It’s nice to meet you.”

 

“You’re a lot more mild than Ivy described.” The comment obviously didn’t mean to sound rude, but Barbara feels slightly offended. Is a single greeting enough to tell that she’s a different person now? That she’s no longer this rich party girl who can stay awake for days on end?

 

“Ecco, what did we say about your filter?” Ed gives her a pointed look.

 

She sighs. “Always use it during a first impression.”

 

Ed chuckles. “Ignore her, Barbara, she’s harmless,” he tells her, “Besides, guests will be arriving for your party soon.”

 

“I totally forgot to ask, but who exactly did you invite?” Barbara asks.

 

“Oh, everyone!” Ivy chips in, “Pengy, Jim, Vic, and all of them, um, some new people that moved after you left, and a lot of others.”

 

Barbara gulps. Wonderful. Hours in a room full of people she hardly even knows anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yell at me for not knowing how to write.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave me a comment, they mean the absolute world to me <3


End file.
